Graphic anti-smoking ads have proven effective for discouraging smoking. Now, an antidrug campaign produced by the Web site Rehabs.com is presenting graphic ads that illustrate the rapid downward transformation of drug abusers over time. The multimedia campaign called, “More Than Meth: Faces of Drug Arrests,” is gaining national attention for its shocking imagery that illustrates the physical decline of drug abusers over time, depicted by their mug shots. The graphic illustrations portray the various effects that drugs, such as cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and oxycodone, can have on an individual’s physical appearance.
The types of physical deterioration produced by these drugs range from tooth decay, accelerated aging, facial infections, skin abscesses, scabbing, and severe weight loss. Mug shots from men and women ranging from age 18 to 54 who have been arrested multiple times for drug-related charges are presented. Each person’s change in physical appearance is presented over time. Pictures from early arrests show young, fresh faces; however, over time, and with more arrests, each individual’s physical decline is appallingly apparent, as they become aged, scarred and scabbed.
Rehabs.com notes that the images are not intended to shame drug users; rather, they are presented to draw attention to the devastating effects of addiction. To illustrate these effects, the campaign includes a series of mug shots from men and women ranging from age 18 to 54, who have been arrested multiple times for charges including drug possession or drug paraphernalia possession. “More Than Meth: Faces of Drug Arrests” is a follow-up to an earlier campaign, which also featured faces of drug users, entitled, “The Horrors of Methamphetamines.” After that campaign, the Web site received a large number of phone calls from individuals seeking help for addiction problems, in addition to people interested in reusing the images for educational purposes.
